The use of saw guards on power driven saws is almost as old as the power driven saw itself. Over the years many proposals have been made for various types of guards to prevent the operator from accidentally coming into contact with the saw blade which can result in serious injury.
However, some saws, due to the nature of the work being performed thereupon, have appeared to elude easy solution with regard to the guarding problem. One such saw is a circular saw employed in the shingle industry. Basically, this shingle saw is comprised of a large power driven circular saw, and a work piece holder which moves the work piece relative to the saw to cut the work piece into thin shingles. In operation the operator is required to insert a fresh work piece which, in the case of the shingle saw, is a block of cedar wood, at such a location that one hand and arm are exposed to the moving saw blade. The saw operates in a very rapid manner and requires frequent replacement of the work piece which has contributed to the difficulty in solving the problem of a suitable saw guard which does not interfere with this high speed operation.
The OSHA Act of 1970 has given added impetus to the search for a suitable saw guard in the industry, and the present invention is directed to a saw guard which enables the operator to change the work piece without the danger of his hand or arm coming into contact with the moving saw blade.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a saw guard which automatically covers that portion of the saw blade adjacent the operator's hand and arm during the work piece restocking cycle of the machine.